A swimmer was attacked by a shark near Gansbaai on Saturday, close to waters popular among shark cage diving operators.

Shark cage diving is often blamed for attracting sharks as operators sometimes use chum, a mixture designed to draw the sharks. The waters off Gansbaai are known for their sharks.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, suffered what is classified as a less serious bite on his lower leg with injuries to his foot and ankle as well as damage to some tendons. He was swimming off the coast of Uilenkraalsmond, between Gansbaai and Pearly Beach.

Cleeve Robertson, of the Emergency Rescue Services, said the incident occurred close to Dyer Island, which has become extremely popular with shark cage diving operators because of the large population of sharks there. He said the shark must have been small.